The Clean Energy Innovation Hub

We know that natural gas already delivers a lower-carbon alternative to many traditional energy sources, and we believe it is ideally placed to complement and further enable the continued implementation of intermittent renewable energy.

At the same time, we are committed to further reduce the carbon footprint of the gas distribution network and provide ongoing secure, reliable, affordable and low-carbon energy options. We are excited about these opportunities and believe it will help drive clean energy research and development that can have major long term benefits for consumers.

Powering our people

Change is coming and we’re making sure our workforce is prepared. By continually upskilling our people, we’re making sure WA will have the energy workforce to support new energy technology.

Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe and when combined with oxygen it makes water. A number of countries have been using hydrogen as a fuel source for many years including Japan, Iceland and Denmark because it offers a low emission alternative to other fuel sources.

Indeed, town gas which was used in the Perth region up until 1970’s was a mix of gases including 50% hydrogen.  Like natural gas, hydrogen can be used to create electricity, stored for later use or exported. At the Clean Energy Innovation Hub we are continuing to investigate and test how we can blend hydrogen within our existing natural gas network.

The Clean Energy Innovation Hub and Park projects draws on ATCO’s established expertise and safety in handling natural gas. ATCO will apply the same degree of rigour in our approach to the safe handling of hydrogen appropriate to the amount we will be producing, which at the Hub is about 10kg a day, roughly the same amount as a standard LPG barbecue gas bottle.

Our Jandakot Operations Centre is maintained regularly, subject to regular testing of all safety systems, is directly wired to the local fire station and is licensed by the State Government.

For more information contact us at [email protected]

ATCO’s Global Hydrogen journey

When it comes to energy, everything depends on us emitting nothing–the energy we need with absolutely none of the emissions we don’t.

With its ability to provide energy without carbon and seamlessly work within our existing infrastructure, hydrogen presents an exciting opportunity for ATCO and the world.

In a first of its kind project for Alberta, ATCO will blend hydrogen into a subsection of its Fort Saskatchewan natural gas distribution system at a concentration of five percent, by volume. Because combustion of hydrogen emits only water, blending hydrogen into natural gas reduces the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of the natural gas stream.

Hydrogen blending is common in other countries, including Australia, where ATCO’s Clean Energy Innovation Hub is already generating hydrogen energy with the help of solar power and delivering it through their existing gas network. In Alberta, ATCO will use hydrogen derived from natural gas, supporting the ongoing exploration and production of Alberta’s abundant natural gas resources and demonstrating the safe and effective blending of hydrogen into the natural gas distribution system.

Not only will this create a roadmap for substantial greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the future, it will also bring many benefits to the Alberta economy and, most importantly, our customers.

Australia is proving its leadership position in the technical development and production of green hydrogen with the announcement that ATCO’s Australian-designed and engineered Clean Energy Innovation Hub (CEIH) technology is set to be exported to California following an agreement between ATCO and Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas).

For more information visit our global hydrogen projects page.